Supercharged multiple motor internal-combustion unit for aircraft



Sept. 7, 1948. A. G. FORSYTH 2,448,789

SUPERGHARGED MULTIPLE MOTOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION- UNIT FOR AIRCRAFTSOriginal Filed May 16, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 f 3 I o U HHHHHHHI' p 7,1948'- I A G. FORSYTH 2,448,789

SUPERCHARGED MULT IPLE MOTOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION UNIT FOR AIRCRAFTSOriginal Filed May 16, 1942 2 heets-Sheet 2 gwuwwtop 4x091519406817/9/71! MSW/l,

Patented Sept. 7, 1948 SUPERCHARGED MULTIPLE MOTOR INTER- NAL-COMBUSTIONUNIT FOR AIRCRAFT Archibald Graham Forsyth, Cheam, England, assignor toThe Fairey Aviation Company Limited, Hayes, England Original applicationMay 16, 1942, Serial No.

443,231. Divided and this application November 17, 1943, Serial No.510,669

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to power plant units for aircraft and the like,and more particularly it relates to a power plant unit which, whileadapted for mass production, is capable of ready use, with Variousgearing arrangements to drive the propellers, in practically any type ofaircraft.

This application is a division of my co-pending application Serial No.448,231, filed May 16, 1942.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide such a powerplant unit for aircraft and the like, and which may be used singly or ingroups so arranged that the aircraft presents the minimum amount of headresistance.

Another object of the invention is to provide a power plant unit withwhich multi-engine reliability can be obtained for propelling varioustypes of aircraft and the like.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a power plant unitwhich can be manufactured with mass production methods and which can beused singly or in groups in various combinations to drive contrarotatingpropellers.

The invention has for still another object the provision of a powerplant unit which can be mass produced as such and which is so designedas to be later fitted with various types and arrangements of gearhousings and superchargers.

These and other objects of the invention will be more apparent from thefollowing description and claim when. read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a front view of a power plant unit constructed in accordancewith the invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the unit.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the unit.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of an extension member applied to the frontof a power unit to accomplish the addition of superchargers at thefront.

With specific reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3, it will be noted thatthese figures show various views of a main power plant unit Aconstructed in accordance with the invention and which is adapted to beproduced by mass production methods. The units A will be described asconsisting of two self-contained 12-cylinder internal combustion enginesmounted on a common crank case, although obviously the motors of theunit may be provided with a different number of cylinders. As shown,each motor 2 is in the form of a flat 12-cylinder motor with thecylinders vertical. The complete unit A forms an H-type motor.

The two crank shafts run in opposite directions and their front ends 4and 6, extending from the unit, are splined to receive various types ofgearing, some of which will be described hereinafter.

Each power unit A is not provided with attached gearing for thecrankshaft ends 4 and 6, but the front of the unit is provided with afacing 8 to which various types of gear-containing housings may beeasily secured so that the gearing will be engaged and driven by theforwardly extending crankshaft ends 4 and B.

Each motor 2 of a unit A is also provided with a side facing ID at therear side of the crankcase. These facings ID are adapted to receivevarious forms of superchargers B (such as shown for example in brokenlines in Figures 1, 2, and 3) which may be mechanically driven, such asby the bevel gears I 2 (Figure 3), mounted on the rear ends of the crankshafts.

Each power unit A may also be provided with trunnions ill or othersupport means, and also with the usual auxiliaries, such as ignitionmeans, fuel pumps, and the like.

It should be noted that each unit A is adapted for production with massproduction methods and comprises a complete power plant with two motors,the front end of the unit terminating in a flanged facing with thesplined crank shaft ends extending forwardly and available to take thereduction gearing or the like in housings which can be detachablysecured to the facing. It should further be noted that each motor 2 of aunit A is provided with a side facing rearwardly disposed on thecrankcase and to which facings superchargers may be detachably securedso as to be driven through gearing operatively connected with the rearend of the crankshafts.

Manifestly the manufacture of power units so comprised is greatlysimplified, and it should also be equally clear that power units soproduced are capable of use in any number of various propellingarrangements. Consequently such a unit comprises a standard unit capableof unifacing 8 of the power unit A, as shown in Figure 4, an extensionhousing 104. The sides of this extension housing are provided withfacings I06 on which the additional superchargers can be mounted. Theseadditional superchargers, so mounted, maybe driven mechanically frombevel gears I08 mounted on extension shafts N0, the

inner end N2 of which engages over the splined crank shaft ends 4 and 6.The outer ends IM of the extension shafts H ar spline'd in the easilyattached to make almost every possible time of supercharger system.

As indicated in the recited objects of the invention, and as will now bemore apparent from the preceding descriptions, the invention makes itpossible to provide airplanes with high power units so designed as to becapable of use in such manner as to reduce the head resistance of thecraft to a minimum.

Moreover, power units as described may be mass produced as a standardunit which can, as shown, he used to drive any number of differentpropelling systems.

While a preferred embodiment of the power unit has been described andillustrated, it should be understood that changes in structure andarrangement may be made without departing from the basic concept of theinvention.

I olaimz A power unit for aircraft and the like, com- 4 prising twointernal combustion motors having a common crankcase one end wall ofwhich terminates in a facing with the crankshaft ends extending throughsaid end wall, whereby housings containing different types of gearingmay be detachably mounted over said facing, the side walls of saidcrankcase near the other end wall having faced openings, wherebysuperchargers may be detachably secured to the facings of said openings,an extension housing detachably secured to saidend wall facing, saidextension housing hav- ,ing side faced openings over which superchargersmay be detachably disposed, crankshaft extensions disposed .in saidhousing and extending through the forward wall thereof, and means onsaid crankshaft extensions for driving the superchargerswhen the; areattached.

ARCHIBALD GRAHAM FORSYTH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 807,048 Ronan Dec. 12, 19 05943,248 Reaugh Feb. 1, 1910 1,306,88 Stoddard June 1'7, 1 919 1,341,709Dodge June 1, 1920 1,394,870 Thomas Oct. 25, 1921 1,528,216 KlingbeilMar. 3, 1925 1,559,628 Larkin Nov. 3, 1925 1,874,681 Woolson Aug. 30,1932 1,882,448 Roche Oct. 11, 1932 2,255,773 Heftler Sept. 16, 1 9412,271,163 Spencer Jan. 27, 1942 2,300,977 Schlaepfer Nov. 3, 1942

